Opinion: Editorials

Longmont man jailed, sued by Colorado AG for selling synthetic pot

A Longmont tobacco store owner is facing criminal charges and is being sued by the Colorado Attorney General for selling the synthetic cannabis product known as spice.

Sang Leaming, 26, owner of Tobacco King, was arrested Monday after he was served a lawsuit filed by the Attorney General's Office.

Leaming was arrested on one count of possession of synthetic cannabinoids, a misdemeanor, and one count of distribution of synthetic cannabinoids, a felony, Boulder County District Attorney's spokeswoman Catherine Olguin said.

Leaming is being held in the Boulder County jail on a $1,000 bond, Olguin said.

Three deaths also were reported, however it is still unknown if those deaths were directly connected to the use of synthetic marijuana, Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment spokesman Mark Salley said.

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The state health department and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention investigated 263 emergency room visits between Aug. 21 and Sept. 19. Of those, 165 are likely linked to synthetic marijuana use, 31 are associated with an unknown drug, 67 are still under review, and six are unrelated to synthetic marijuana use.

Suthers' office began an investigation into Tobacco King after a mother of a sick teenager contacted authorities claiming spice made her child ill, said Carolyn Tyler, spokeswoman for the attorney general's office.

Spice, illegal in Colorado and banned by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, often comes in colorful packets marked with names such as Spice or Black Mamba. The substance looks like dried herbs or sand and can mimic the effect of marijuana when it is consumed, but does not leave a THC trace in urine samples. The substance often has dangerous added chemicals that are not disclosed on the label.

More than 1,000 containers of spice products were seized from Tobacco King by agents of the Colorado Department of Revenue, Liquor & Tobacco's enforcement division, Tyler said.

"By prominently displaying the spice alongside common smoking accessories, Tobacco King made the spice appear to be safe and legal," Attorney General John Suthers said in a news release. "We have already seen a number of serious health effects from these dangerous products."

The complaint further alleges Leaming and his store sold the products knowing they were harmful if consumed, Tyler said.

While Tobacco King was directly target in the lawsuit, the complaint does not allege the store's products caused of any of these recent emergency room visits, Tyler said.

The complaint was filed under the Colorado Consumer Protection Act with Boulder County District Court.

Leaming has yet to be officially charged by the district attorney's office.

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